Is that notice real?
Fake citations and “pay immediately” notices circulate everywhere. The verification path in North Carolina is official and free: the clerk of superior court in the charging county, and the AOC's own portals. This page shows the checks; it never asks for your citation details and nothing you read here is transmitted.
The checks
- 1
A real North Carolina citation names a COUNTY and the General Court of Justice — and it is verifiable with the clerk of superior court in that county, by phone or in person.
- 2
The AOC's official portals (nccourts.gov — Court Dates and eCourts Portal where the county is live) can locate a real case. Type the address yourself; never follow a link or QR code printed on a suspicious notice.
- 3
North Carolina courts do not demand payment by gift card, wire, or payment app — a notice that does is a scam, full stop.
- 4
The citation number, offense, and court date on a real ticket match what the clerk's records show. A mismatch is a finding.
- 5
When in doubt: call the clerk's office in the charging county using a number from nccourts.gov — not from the notice.
If a notice is fake, report it — the clerk's office and the Attorney General's consumer division are the lanes. If it is real, the War Room shows the law and the options.